Just in time for spooky season: Buffalo Bill’s house appears in documentary
If you recognize the iconic line, “I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti,” you may be interested in an upcoming documentary produced by Ryan Reynolds titled, “The House From…”
Reynolds, who is known for leading roles in movies like “Deadpool,” “The Proposal” and “Green Lantern,” takes film fans on a journey to famous homes that have appeared in movies and television series.
Among them is Buffalo Bill’s house, where the climax of “The Silence of the Lambs” is set.
“The three-story Queen Anne-style Victorian home in Perryopolis features beautiful woodwork and stained-glass windows, and despite its eerie associations, has a classic charm,” said owner Chris Rowan.
For those unfamiliar with Oscar-winning film “The Silence of the Lambs,” the serial killer played by Ted Levine was known as Buffalo Bill because he liked to skin women, comparing them to bison.
Rowan, who works in the film industry as an art director and prop stylist, said his lifelong appreciation for horror movies inspired him to purchase the home which he opened for overnight stays and tours on Labor Day weekend of 2021.
“Two-hour tours are conducted one weekend per month, otherwise we operate it as a boutique vacation rental and museum,” said Rowan. “The people who come to the tours usually have a huge fondness and admiration for film in general and they hear personal accounts from the homeowners’ experiences that one won’t often find on the internet.”
Rowan said that during the filming of “The Silence of the Lambs,” they shot exteriors of the porch walkway and driveway and interiors from the first floor and the basement, which is sure to send shivers down the spines of those familiar with the movie.
“We worked to recreate the movie set in our basement, which includes the well and the workshop. A special effects guy named Tom Savini who teaches a class on special makeup effects at the Douglas Education Center in Monessen built the well,” said Rowan, adding that the riverfront rental is a cinematic destination and sleeps up to eight guests.
“We only book one party at a time,” he said.
Tommy Avallone, documentary director, said, “Visiting famous houses is something I’ve always done, so this was the next logical step,” he said, adding that it’s not unusual for fans to make pilgrimages to various houses that they see in the movies.
Avallone said that one house appearing on the program is located in Altadena, Calif.
“It’s been used in many movies and shows like ‘This is Us,’ ‘American Pie’ and ‘Ghost Whisperer’,” he said.
He also remarked on one street on Bushnell Avenue in Pasadena, California. “In just one block there are three houses used in screen productions like ‘Home Alone,’ ‘Old School’ and ‘Ghost Dad’,” he said.
Avallone, who is himself a film enthusiast and has a basement full of videos, said that his love of visiting houses seen on sets inspired him to undertake the project.
“It took five years, but that’s only because we had to stop during the pandemic, and I left to make another movie and came back and finished it,” he said.
Where to View
The documentary, “The House From…,” will be making its worldwide debut on Friday, Oct. 25 at 6:30 p.m. at the Smodcastle Film Festival held in Central New Jersey. The festival is hosted by Kevin Smith, the scriptwriter and director of the movie “Clerks.”
The documentary can be viewed two days later on Fubo and will be available for download on iTunes.
Other homes that will be features in the show include those from “Halloween,” “The Goonies,” “Home Alone,” “Friday,””Pee-wee’s Big Adventure,” “The Golden Girls,” “Breaking Bad,” “Full House,” “Roseanne,” and “A Christmas Story.”
To book a stay at Buffalo Bill’s House, or to get in on the last tours just in time for Halloween, visit https://buffalobillshouse.com/.